Edison High School football team mourning loss of player after collision with city vehicle

Huntington Beach’s Edison High football community is mourning the loss of one of its players as police investigate a collision Monday near the intersection of Newland Street and Yorktown Avenue that killed one male teenager and critically injured another.

Jennifer Carey, the city’s public affairs manager, said police responded to the scene at around 8:15 a.m., where they found a white 1990 Ford F-250 had collided with a white 2018 Chevrolet Silverado belonging to the city of Huntington Beach.

Two male teenagers were found inside the F-250 and transported to local hospitals. The driver of the other vehicle, a 38-year-old male, was uninjured, the release indicated. Officials did not indicate whether the driver was a city employee or if he was on duty at the time of the crash.

One of the teens succumbed to his injuries, while the second remained in the hospital in critical condition as of Monday afternoon, Carey reported.

Although police did not identify the crash victims and maintained only one fatality had occurred, a social media post on Twitter posted by @EdisonFootball and later taken down identified the initial victim as football player Josh Page. The post indicated the second victim in the collision was Page’s younger brother, Jeremy.

A parent, whose children play on the Edison High School Football team, similarly indicated to the Daily Pilot that both brothers had died in the collision.

Orange County Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman Carrie Braun reported shortly after 4 p.m. Monday a watch commander at the county coroner’s office had confirmed with her officials were aware of only one fatality. The second minor victim, they reported, was still listed as hospitalized at that time.

Investigators are examining the circumstances surrounding the collision but indicated it did not appear alcohol or drugs were a factor. Because a Huntington Beach city vehicle was involved in the incident, Carey reported, the Irvine Police Department’s Major Accident Investigation team has been asked to lead the investigation.

Anyone who may have witnessed the collision or the events leading up to it is encouraged to contact Irvine Police Det. Roberto Solis at (949) 724-7024.

News of the collision sent shockwaves through the local community as residents and local officials, including Huntington Beach Mayor Barbara Delgleize, expressed sympathy for the victims and their family members.

“I am so sorry to hear about the tragic traffic collision that took place this morning,” Delgleize said in a statement. “On behalf of myself and the City Council, we wish to extend our sincerest condolences to the families impacted by this terrible accident.”

A coach for the Edison High School baseball team announced a game scheduled for Monday night, against Capistrano Valley High School, had been cancelled. A candlelight vigil for the victims was scheduled to take place at the high school at 6 p.m.

Daily Pilot staff writer Matt Szabo contributed to this report.

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